High Five for Friday

 Dress: Forever 21       Boots: DSW      Necklace: Kohls

1.  I know it's officially Spring, but it is still cold.  So I'm still wearing boots.  

2. Today's outfit gets two pictures and two numbers because this is my new favorite dress. 

I just got it from Forever 21 for $10.  

3.   Remember this necklace I wore in yesterday's post?

My friend and I made these necklaces the other night. 

Although slightly tedious due to poking three little holes in each triangle, it was totally worth it. 

Paint chips, a chain, some jewelry rings, and about 30 minutes and I had a new necklace. 

Read more about how to make it here.  

(Tip: Put the paint chip/triangles on a cereal box or something like that to poke your holes through.  This way it didn't bend the corners of the triangles.)

4.  I had two custom orders for two little families of sock monkeys for Easter baskets.  

Want your own sock monkey? Check out my etsy store.

(I'd be happy to do a custom color/order too!)  

5.  I recently made this for dinner.  

So easy and delicious!  

Buffalo Chicken Garbage Bread

I already had shredded chicken in the freezer and frozen pizza dough, which made this recipe even easier!

6. Bonus number today because you need to enter my giveaway for a $50 gift card to Shabby Apple if you haven't already! 

Have a great weekend!

Linking up to:

High 5 for Friday      blissful and domestic

Drab to Fab    Shine on Friday

anything goes    serenity now
5 Days 5 Ways  Friday I'm in Love

It's OK . . .

  
Blazer: Forever 21   Pants: Kohls  Shoes: Old Navy  Necklace: handmade (will post on this soon!)

It's OK that I paid full price for this blazer from Forever 21 ($25).  I rarely buy something that isn't clearance or really cheap but I've wanted a striped blazer for a long time.  And it is SO soft and comfortable!

It's OK that whenever I do this workout video, which is meant to work your abs the whole time, I feel it way more in my butt.  Perhaps I'm doing something wrong? At least something feels sore, right? 

It's OK that I've started looking the in the little girls section at Target in case I find an amazing deal like I did on the dress I posted about on Monday.  

It's OK that my friend and I made Chubby Hubby bars for dessert last night, but left out the flour and opened my oven to this disaster: 

(those are crushed pretzels.  they look like worms.)

It's OK that I didn't realize that something looked terribly wrong before I put it in the oven, as I have made this recipe a few times. 

Thank goodness for try number 2: 

so much better. 

Then add a layer of caramel and chocolate and you get these: 

Recipe here

It's OK that I ate one after breakfast and one after lunch already today.  And one for an afternoon snack.

It's OK that I went on a walk by a river with two of my friends and one of their little boys, and while everyone was standing around, the stroller (thankfully with no baby in it) blew into the river. 

We then spent about 20 minutes trying to get her phone out of the river using all sorts of random things in our cars, like a windshield wiper and laundry basket.  

We finally did it, but her phone may not not recover. 

It's OK that I am dreading spring break ending and having to go back to school. 

On the plus side you still have two more days to enter my giveaway for a $50 gift card to Shabby Apple!

Linking up to It's OK Thursday

Dear Lauren,

 jeans: JCPenney  flats: Kohls   scarf: handmade (tutorial here) 

 I finally bought myself some colored jeans and I love them.  

I couldn't decide between the scarf and the necklaces.

What do you think? 

Molly thinks it's funny to get in a quarter of my pictures.  

I clearly am not amused. 

Thank you for sending me these beautiful flowers yesterday.  

I can't tell you how much I appreciated it. 

It has been a very challenging and sad week and knowing that you are thinking of me, praying for me and love me makes me so happy and I couldn't be luckier to have you for my sister and best friend.  

You are one of the greatest blessings God has given me.  

You are the best and I love you Lauren! 

If you haven't entered yet, make sure you check out my giveaway for a $50 gift card to Shabby Apple!

Linking up to:

  Rolled up Pretty   lollipops

Momma go Round 
Rae Gun Ramblings

A Shabby Apple $50 Gift Card Giveaway

I am so excited for my first giveaway on my blog! 

Today I get to give away a $50 gift card to Shabby Apple.

I'm pretty sure that I've entered every Shabby Apple giveaway I've seen, as I would be thrilled to win one of their items.  I'm quite jealous that I don't have a chance to win!

If you win, you get to choose how you want to use your $50!
I would have a hard time choosing what I'd pick.  Shabby Apple has so many amazing items that I would love to own.  They have dresses, skirts, shoes, maternity clothes, adorable work out clothes, kids clothes and jewelry, and more.

These are some of my favorites that I would want to pick if I could win:


The Alice dress 
I want this dress to wear to my brother's rehearsal dinner.

 

This adorable bow skirt - which happens to be on sale for $38. 

 

The Padma Cluster Ring 

 

This adorable yellow Shakespeare Garden dress. (On sale for $58) 

 

The Block Party Dress

I would seriously have a hard time deciding how to spend $50 on their site!

Check out more of their great items here.

Shabby Apple is also giving my readers 10% off.
Just use the code forlaurenandlauren10off

The giveaway will go until the 31st.  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bang Phobia

Dress $3.50   Shoes $7:  both from Target  (read about this dress here)

On most days my bangs are more pushed to one side.  However, once in awhile, like this picture today, and against my amateur styling control they try to be full bangs.  Except they are still a little too short and there isn't enough of them.  But it makes me think that maybe I should go for full bangs at some point. 

And then I remember what my hair looked like when I had bangs.

  

Take a look: 

Remember the commercial (I think it was Sprite) "Image is everything"?

We were so cool. 

And this one is perhaps that best view of my full bangs in all their glory

taking up half of my head: 

So the question is 

Do I get bangs again? 

Or are these pictures enough to stay away from them? 

and I'm SO excited because tomorrow I get to do a giveaway from Shabby Apple!

Mingle Monday

5 Things Friday

 
1. I feel like I jumped right from wearing leggings, scarves and boots to skirts and sandals.
I'm not complaining.
Although my white legs are.


2. This quote on pinterest the other day:



The thing is I really did do this a handful of times.
When we first got married and moved into our place, I seriously turned into a paranoid freak for awhile. Convinced that someone was going to break into our house and attack me.
Definitely rolled off the couch, crawled behind it and hid for a good five minutes one time when someone knocked on our door.

3.  I made this delicious recipe this week.
Pretzel toffee.
You should make it right away.

4. My sister told me that my nephew Travis (who is almost 3) was looking at a picture of me and said
"Katie is so little. Like a sweet little child.  Oh Katie."

Now if a toddler told me that they hated my clothes, I'd think "they're just two. Can't trust em."
But if a toddler tells me I'm little and sweet (we'll keep out the child part.) - I believe him.

5. HELLO SPRING BREAK!!

I'm not going anywhere but couldn't be happier or more ready for a week off of school.

Happy weekend!



High 5 for Friday
anything goes    serenity now

cheap cheap

 

My post title makes me think of a bird, which makes me think of tweeting and then of twitter.  

Which I don't do and still don't really understand how it all works. 

Rather than my lack of knowledge in the social media department,
this post is dedicated to my serious skill of finding cheap clothing.  

Shoes: $5 Kohls (a few months ago)

Shirt: $1.97 at Old Navy (a few weeks ago)

Belt: $1  The only item I've ever thrifted

Pants: Kohls (I don't remember how much they cost, my guess $15.)  

I honestly need to find out how to make money doing this.   

Want to hire me?

I just may be ready for a new profession. 

Linking up to:
live laugh rowe

  Rolled up Pretty   lollipops

Momma go Round    The Letter 4
Rae Gun Ramblings

problem solver

 

Dress: Old Navy   Belt & Shoes: Target

I coach for a program called Girls on the Run and it started a few weeks ago.  Which means that a few times a week I change right into running clothes after school.  Therefore I need to take some outfit pictures in the morning.

  

Unless of course you'd like to see some outfit posts like this: 

So my problem is that my already small eyes look even smaller when it's early and I'm tired.  

Remember this post? 

Therefore today  I've resorted to not looking at the camera in some sort of artistic, modeling way. 

That or I look like I am sleeping. 

(Which is a problem I actually wouldn't mind as I currently face the opposite problem of not being able to sleep.)

either way. guess it hides my tired face. 

Glad Monday is over and 4 more days to Spring Break. 

Linking up to:
In Honor of Design
transatlantic blonde  pleated poppy

Spring

Scarf: handmade (click here for tutorial)   Pants & Skirt: LOFT (last year)  Shoes: Kohls 

 Lauren in law had shoes just like this and I wanted them for a long time.  I'm glad I waited because I found these at Kohls a few months ago for $5! 

We have had unbelievable weather for the middle of March.  It feels like summer. 

Which made me do lots of cleaning this weekend and put out some more Springy decorations. 

Here's some pictures: 

And I made this little felt garland that I saw online the other day. 

It was really easy and super cheap: 

 All I did was cut out different size circles from different color felt and sew them together.  

Now if only it was really close to summer! 

Sunday Best   Sunday Social
craft o maniac    c.r.a.f.t.    ask anna

High Five for Friday

 dress: Kohls   shirt: Old Navy 

1.  The last two days have been above 75 degrees, which is about 20 degrees higher than normal. 

Which means I dug out some of my summer clothes yesterday and am hoping the warm weather stays! 

 2. Apparently this is what it looks like to have a baby.  

At least in the mind of an 8 year old.  

3.  I made these for breakfast the other week and they were delicious!

I'm thinking I should make them again this weekend.  

 

peanut butter banana oatmeal squares

4.  I made this little set of bean bags for one of my friend's son's birthday. 

It's always easy for me to find gifts to make for girls, but boys are a little more challenging. 

They were really pretty easy.  

I cut out the squares and then used double sided adhesive to iron on the letters. 

I sewed around the letters, then sewed the bags front side in. 

Flipped them around, filled them with beans and then sewed around the edges of the beanbag. 

My only advice would be to make the hole big enough so it is easier to put the beans in. 

I'm happy with how they turned out and hope he likes them!

5.  My spring break is one week away.  I don't have any big plans but am so excited for a week off of school!

Happy Friday! 

Linking up to:
shine on friday  drab to fab
High 5 for Friday
5 Days 5 Ways Serenity Now
polkadot - pretties